I've been experimenting with bacon grease as a cutting fluid. My co-worker doesn't like bacon (and its smell) or the fact that it solidifies on the machines, etc. Is there something to add to mask the smell and turn it into a liquid? Maybe I should just forget abut it? Randy
just use it in soup (assuming you did not overheat it) and use cutting fluid for cutting.
I cannot think of a better way to attract furry critters to your shop than using bacon grease.
i
Does your co-worker wear a turbin?
One can buy lard by the pound in grocery stores.
Bacon grease can be cleaned up by boiling it in water, and then cooling. The crust on top is the now largely odor-free lard. Discard the water.
The lard will go rancid, regardless of source.
Joe Gwinn
No, he's Catholic and just prefers sausage. :) Randy
It's the original tapping fluid. Heard it rocked because it stuck to the tap. I bet it smells better than tapmagic. Try crisco grease, it goes on as a grease, and with a tiny amount of heat it turns into oil. I heard it was great on tiny drills.
I have used bacon grease as a cutting lubricant for over 20 years with good results. Your friend must have an unusually sensitive nose if he is bothered by such a mild odor, but anyhow there are several ways you can deal with the smell, one of the easiest being to pour the grease into a clear jug or jar and let it sit in a warm place for a few weeks. Eventually the liquid part of the fat will separate into a yellowish oily layer on top of the solids, and you can then pour this off and filter it for a very good and practically odorless substitute for lard oil. If you don't object to the smell of kerosene, you can also add a little kerosene or paint thinner, works well with aluminum.
Mike
Try some lard oil (McMaster has it)
Use cod liver oil on Fridays.
Wes S
A lot of the newer "green" cutting fluids have a lard oil base. Was all my plumber granddad would use for threading iron pipe.
As others have said, bacon grease has salt in it, the iron ways on your equipment won't thank you. I've read the old tip columns from the '30s where guys were using tire patch cans full of bacon grease for lubing up taps. Nothing was said about rusting up stuff, probably the tap life was so short on those carbon steel things anyway they didn't care. You can get as good or better results with the cutting waxes they have these days, no stink, sticks to the tap or saw blade and it works, no rust. Castrol makes one type, there's other makes. A stick the size of a regular caulking tube ran me about $3 over at MSC one time. Lasts a loooong time. Works good on aluminum, too, chips don't weld to the edge.
Stan
works really well cutting pig iron.
It must have been some time ago that you bought yours. MSC now has one by LPS for $13 & one by Stick-Kut for $10. Each is 15oz tube. Bob
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